Alabama Has Recruited Well MERCEDES 1500 jobs/$253 million in

incentives HONDA 1500 jobs/$158 million in incentives TOYOTA 350 jobs/$29 million in incentives HYUNDAI 2,000 jobs/$253 million in incentives AIRBUS 1,000 jobs/$158 million in incentives

(NOTE: Need sources)

Alabama Has A Huge Opportunity For about $700 million over the next six

years, we can create approximately 30,000 jobs by increasing Medicaid coverage.

The additional $28 billion in economic activity will more than cover the $700 million cost, leaving a net of $900 million.

This can be done without a major recruitment campaign, simply with the stroke of a pen.

How can we do this? By leveraging our tax dollars that have already been

sent to Washington, D.C.

By increasing health coverage to Alabamians through an Alabama-driven solution to the Medicaid program.

What is Medicaid? It’s a federal/state program that pays for

medical care for people with low incomes and limited resources.

38 percent of Alabama’s children are covered by Medicaid

53 percent of all deliveries are covered by Medicaid

Two-thirds of nursing home care is supported

by Medicaid More than 40 percent of Medicaid

expenditures pay for care for those who are blind or disabled

Medicaid Addresses Health Challenges Alabama US

AverageInfant Mortality per 1,000 live births 9.2 6.6Life Expectancy at Birth 75.4 78.9Teen Death Rate per 100,000 teens 120 88Overweight or Obese Children (10 – 17) 35% 31.3%Overweight or Obese Adult 66.8% 63.3%People who Report a Disability 15.5% 10.4%Adult Diabetes 11.8% 8.7%Deaths due to Heart Disease per 100,000 Pop. 236 179.1

Adults who Smoke 24.3% 20.1%

More About Who Is CoveredAlabama Medicaid Enrollment by Category FY 2011

Alabama’s Program: Bare Minimum Alabama’s eligibility levels are among the

most stringent in the country: No childless adult is eligible. Adults with children

(family of four) are only eligible if they make less than $4368 a year.

Children under age 18 are eligible if they live in families of four with a household income of less than $35,412.

Only the minimum services are covered: Basically, the only optional benefits covered are

prescription medications, hospice, prosthetics and eyeglasses for adults and kidney dialysis.

Medicaid Provides Access To Care Many local hospitals and physicians,

particularly those in rural areas, depend on the Medicaid patient volume to stay in business:

30 – 40 percent of pediatricians’ patients are covered by Medicaid.

60 percent of Children’s Hospital of Alabama patients are covered by Medicaid, and many rural hospitals have high volumes of Medicaid patients.

Almost 70 percent of nursing home patients are covered by Medicaid.

Medicaid Faces Tough Challenges Our minimal program barely meets federal Maintenance of

Effort requirements. We leave many critical health needs of Alabamians

unaddressed. We face a significant funding shortfall – patched in the

short term by voter approval to transfer funds from the Oil & Gas Trust Fund.

We have a shortage of primary care physicians, exacerbated by continued cuts in Medicaid reimbursement.

The program lacks incentives for coordinating care.

Gov. & Legislature Initiate Reform The Governor’s Medicaid Advisory Commission

recommended a framework for reform that: Ensures continued access to existing services Revises payment incentives to place risk at

the community level and bend cost curve for state

Promotes prevention and coordinated care

Reform Continued… Legislature passed bill establishing reform

framework: State divided into 5 regions based on where

Medicaid recipients receive their care. Regions will be paid a per-person amount to

provide health care for all Medicaid recipients in the region.

Regions must be operational by October 2016.

Patient

Primary Care Physician & Care Coordinator

AcuteSub-Acute

Data Portals

Specialist

Tailored Care Planning Coordination of Care Improved Access Improved Communication

Aggregated Clinical Information

Event Notification Alerts & Reminders Chronic Disease

Management ToolsRCO

CARE MANAGEMENT TEAM

Behavioral Health

With Reform Comes Opportunity Currently, Alabama only covers adults with

children and only those who are at less than 12 percent of the federal poverty level.

The expansion would allow a family of four to make up to $31,000 annually and still qualify.

The federal government would cover 100 percent of the costs of increasing coverage for the first three years.

The most the state would ever pay is 10 percent of the expansion cost starting in 2020.

With Reform Comes Opportunity Medicaid expansion is only an expansion of

coverage, not an increase in benefits. If, for any reason, the state decides it can no

longer support the expanded population, it can opt out.

Medicaid reform, coupled with a Medicaid coverage increase, would allow us to design an Alabama-based health system that would meet the unique needs of our citizens.

State-Based Solutions States across the country are developing state-

based solutions to increase access to health coverage.

Arkansas Pennsylvania Iowa

Alabama lawmakers need to find their own solution for our state.

Tremendous Economic Potential Two credible, university studies have reported

on the huge economic potential of an expansion.

They predict the additional payments for newly eligible individuals will drive increased health care demand, which will result in additional tax revenue, utility utilization, equipment and supply purchases, etc.

Tremendous Economic Potential The University of Alabama’s Center for Business

and Economic Research estimated the overall increase in business activity by $28 billion, which includes:

$17 billion impact to state’s Gross Domestic Product

$10 billion in worker earnings UAB researchers found that the additional taxes

and economic benefits would more than cover the state’s cost of the expansion… about $700 million over six years.

According to UAB study, the state would actually net about $900 million over six years.

Covering Hardworking AlabamiansPotentially Eligible

Restaurants & other food services 25,060Construction 23,350Landscaping services 6,350Household goods repair 5,410Drug & chemical wholesalers 4,880Building support services 4,750Automotive repair 4,440 Auto & related manufacturing 3,660Museums & historical sites 3,520Film & video industries 3,450

Potential for 30,000 jobs! 11,290 in health care/social assistance 6,390 in retail trade 5,490 in professional, scientific and technical

services 1,523 in administrative and support services 1,247 in accommodations and food services 1,095 in finance and insurance

Investments in Jobs Creation Mercedes: $253 million for 1500 jobs

Cost of $168,166 PER JOB Hyundai: $253 million for 2000 jobs

Cost of $126,400 PER JOB Medicaid expansion would cost $777 million

for 30,800 jobs COST OF $25,000 PER JOB

What happens if we don’t expand? Hundreds of thousands of Alabama’s adults

will not receive health coverage. 30,000 new jobs will go by the wayside. The state will lose billions in economic impact. Hospitals will be forced to cut services or

perhaps close as the supplemental payments for the uninsured are cut.

What happens if we don’t expand? The cost of caring for the uninsured will

continue to affect all of us through increased premiums due to cost shifting. One study estimates that in Alabama the effect of uninsured costs amount to $210 a year for individual premiums and $600 a year for family premiums.

Millions of Alabama tax dollars will be spent in other states, such as California or New York. These are taxes already being collected that will not go away.

Alabamians Will be Caught in a Gap Alabamians making less than the federal

poverty level are not eligible for subsidies to purchase coverage through the insurance exchange.

Those from 100 percent of FPL to 133 percent would be eligible for subsidies, but likely could not afford to purchase coverage.

Those caught in the gap number 191,000 and represent 36 percent of the state’s non-elderly uninsured.

Bottom Line: Expansion Makes Sense We’re reforming our Medicaid program to

improve care and make it more cost efficient. So we should be ready to increase coverage.

Medicaid expansion would provide health coverage to an estimated 300,000 Alabamians.

If we don’t expand, we leave on the table: 30,000 new jobs $12 billion in federal funding $28 billion in economic impact The potential for an Alabama solution to the coverage

challenge

Start the Conversation Visit ALABAMASBEST.ORG to read more about

the Medicaid expansion and its potential economic impact.

Share this information with your friends and neighbors.

Ask your elected leaders to join in the conversation with providers, advocates, and business leaders about what is best for Alabama, our citizens, and our economy.

Encourage the Governor and the Legislature to develop Alabama’s BEST option for the Medicaid program.